Her mom called before 8 o’clock. “Your dad’s in the ambulance . . . his heart’s not beating.”

Life blurred as she ran out the door, barely remembering to grab her purse and lock the door.

She didn’t remember dialing his work phone, almost surprised by the sound of his voice. “Dad’s in the hospital. His heart stopped,” was all she said.

Though his workday had begun at zero dark thirty, he was on the road in 10 minutes, rearranging schedules and cancelling meetings while en route. He arrived at the hospital within the hour.

“Then he did the most caring, romantic thing ever”, she recounted. “He pulled up a chair and sat there beside me. He didn’t ply me with questions, didn’t spew forth hollow It’s-going-to-be-all-right platitudes. He was just there for me.”

As you read these Memos, you might get the idea that to be romantic you’ve gotta do something.

Plan an event,

Create a grand Romantic Interlude,

Spend vast sums of brain power, time and money.

That’s not completely true.

Yes. Being romantic often involves forethought. It requires time to understand your sweetheart’s preferred way of being romanced. And it might entail deliberately planning a Romantic Interlude.

Sometimes, though, it involves none of those.

Sometimes, romance is simply recognizing a situation and turning it into an opportunity to care for your sweetheart in a manner which touches your sweetheart’s inner spirit. And because of the relationship, it becomes a romantic moment.

If your sweetheart is going through a difficult time, use their preference to touch them. Maybe a little gift touches that spot. A few gentle words may buoy up the spirit. It could be a lingering hug relieving the tension.

Sometimes though, it’s just your quiet presence, the gift of your time, which creates the moment.